My tendency to go with overly descriptive and often lengthy headlines sort of leaves me grasping for additional things to say in the body copy at times. This isn’t one of them.

The video below showcases an NES remake of Left 4 Dead, complete with instantaneous vanishing bodies and bloodless kills. Remind of you of a more modern censored sequel of the same game? Hmm?

While the absence of persistent zombie corpses lying in puddles of their own blood does remind me of the Australian censored Left 4 Dead 2 game, the NES version of L4D isn’t completely void of blood. It does offer a few random splatters on floors and walls to help set the mood, and that’s more than we can say about its Aussie counterpart. Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself.

[Thanks GoNintendo]

Remember that poll Sega ran a while back on which game everybody wanted to see come to Xbox Live Arcade? For a while it looked like Earthworm Jim would emerge the victor, but Toejam and Earl pulled out the win in the end. Unfortunately for those who voted for the funky space duo, that may not even happen.

The problem – which is honestly sort of hilarious – is that Sega jumped the gun and doesn’t even own the rights to Toejam and Earl. That’s right! They promised us a game that they can’t legally give us! According to T&E designer Greg Johnson, Sega is currently in talks to acquire the rights, so everything may work out in the end. If it doesn’t, I’ll feel more than a little hornswoggled. There, I said it.

As you can see, this person is quite the Nintendo 64 collector. He appears to have every version of the N64 ever produced, although the Goldeneye version appears to be missing. Could easily be behind the other boxes, though. I have to admit, I don’t see the appeal of collecting stuff that is different only aesthetically. This is especially true with N64s- just think.

30 or so consoles. That means about 30 broken joysticks, 30 stuck reset buttons, and about a hundred thousand puffs of air into dusty cartridges. Fine, that last one applies to any N64 owner.

Full-size pic here.

A popular criticism of gaming on the PC is the cost of upgrading your machine to meet the specifications for all the latest games. What people who say this tend to forget, though, is there are plenty of games you can play on your PC without needing a hulking beast of a computer to run.

In an attempt at converting more people to PC gaming, I’ve compiled a few of my favourite games that virtually any computer from the last ten years will be able to run without too much trouble. You’re not going to be running Crysis on your old hunk o’ junk, so why bother? Try one of these fantastic games instead. Chances are, they’re better than Crysis anyway.

Fallout

I’m sure you’re not surprised to see this here. Fallout (and to a lesser extent, Fallout 2) was, ironically, a haven in a wasteland of linear games. Fallout is famous for being incredibly flexible to the player; most notable is the ability to play through without even using combat, just by interacting with the huge cast of characters. So open was Fallout that people are able to play through the game and see almost nothing that another player might have seen. Sure, there are modern games that use the “open world” dynamic, but Fallout still stands up as one of the biggest and most expansive worlds open to players today.

System Requirements:

DOS: Pentium-90, 32 megs of RAM, 2x CD-ROM drive, SVGA (VESA-compliant), SoundBlaster-compatible.

Win95: Pentium-90, 16 megs of RAM, DirectX 3.0a or 5.0, 2x CD-ROM drive, SVGA, DirectSound compatible sound card.

Mac: PowerMac with 16000k free memory, CD-ROM, System 7.1.2 or higher.

All versions require 10+ megs of hard drive space and a mouse.

Peggle

It’s not only old games that run on old PCs. Peggle is only two years old, but it has already reached the unofficial title of “most addictive puzzle game ever created”. The game consists of firing a ball at pegs in the hope of clearing all of the orange ones using just ten balls. Simple formula, but the result is an incredibly addicting and absorbing puzzle game. Well, I say puzzle game, but when you really break it down, there’s not much you can control directly other than the first few bounces of the ball. Even so, Peggle has eaten so many hours of my life that it just has to go on the list.

System Requirements:

Win 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista: Pentium III, 700 MHz or faster, 256 MB RAM, DirectX 7.0.

Mac OS 10.3.9 and later: G4,G5 or Intel Core Duo, 256 MB RAM.

15Mb disk space and an Internet connection is required to register both the download and CD-ROM versions of the game.

Grim Fandango

Tim Scafer’s masterpiece Grim Fandango was an obvious choice for this list. The game is undoubtedly one of the wittiest and best written games ever made, and features a cast who, ironically enough, are brought to life with excellent voice acting and a fantastic story. Okay, I might be laying on the praise a bit heavily, but this game really deserves your attention. The adventure genre, often considered a dead art nowadays, reached a peak in Grim Fandango. There’s only one excuse not to play this game: illiteracy. If you’re reading this, you need to play Grim Fandango.

System Requirements:

Windows: 133 MHz processor, 32 MB RAM, 30 MB hard disk space, 4 MB video card.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2

Perhaps not the most critically acclaimed game on this list, but certainly one of the best in terms of sheer fun. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a full-on real time strategy game full of preposterous and brilliant units, topped with a helping of self-parody and real-time FMV silliness. In the universe of Red Alert 2, tanks that can become trees face off against soldiers that can mind-control other units, and it makes sense. The expansion pack even added flying saucers. A fine example of an RTS that is pure entertainment from start to finish.

System Requirements:

Windows: 266 MHz Processor, 64 MB RAM, 350 MB HDD space, 4x CD-ROM Drive, 2 MB video card, DirectSound-compatible soundcard.

Deus Ex

Widely considered to be one of the best PC games ever made, Deus Ex is an example of an FPSRPG- that is, a first-person shooter/role-playing game hybrid. Like Fallout, Deus Ex is one of the most non-linear games you can play- each problem can be worked around in a multitude of ways. This usually results in unique player experiences, as it could take many, many playthroughs to see every inch of the game. As the old saying goes: “Deus Ex was awesome. Man, I should play that again.” Well, I say ‘old saying’: I just made that up. I’ve heard people say it though, honest!

System Requirements:

Windows: 300 MHz CPU, 64 MB RAM, 4 MB video card RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 7.0a, 150 MB available hard disk space.

Mac: PowerPC G3 (266 MHz), 64 MB RAM, 150 MB disk space, mouse or compatible device, 4x CD-ROM, 3D accelerator card.

Quake

Forget the outdated controls and nasty graphics. It’s Quake. Sure, it takes some configuration to get the controls to work properly, but once that’s done, Quake is as frantic and eye-bleedingly brilliant as ever. Get a few friends over for a LAN game, or play over the internet, and you’ve got yourself an evening of instant entertainment. There are endless custom maps coming out of the community, and the face-melting pace of the game keep the thrills coming, even after a horrible clichéd phrase like “keep the thrills coming”. Once you pop [the disc in the drive], you just can’t stop!

System Requirements:

IRIX 5.3 / Linux 1.3.88 / MS-DOS 5.0 / Solaris 2.5.1 / Windows: 66 MHz Processor, FPU, 8 MB RAM, 80 MB Hard disk space, 1 MB Graphics card.

Starcraft

Starcraft is one of the most popular PC games of all time, especially among the competitive scene. The Korean Starcraft circuit is so popular, in fact, that players have become celebrities and the competitions are broadcast nationwide on TV. This is perhaps indicative of the quality of the game: it revolutionised the real-time strategy genre, and is one of the deepest strategy games available. UC Berkeley even offers a course on the various strategies and theories surrounding the game.

System Requirements:

Windows/Mac: 90 MHz processor, 16 MB RAM, 640×480 8-bit display.

The Secret of Monkey Island

Alongside Grim Fandango, The Secret of Monkey Island is often heralded as the Holy Grail of PC adventure games. The writing is the holy water in the Grail, though; Guybrush Threepwood’s caption for the above image is simply “That’s the second biggest monkey head I’ve ever seen!” Seriously, this game is full of great one-liners similar to this one, and is a stickler for the adventure formula- make the puzzles as outlandish and crazy as possible. One of the most relentlessly funny games ever produced.

System Requirements:

MS-DOS 5.0 or higher: 386/33 DX, 1 Mb EMS, 256 color VGA/MCGA, SoundBlaster, Adlib, Roland MT 32. Basically, your computer can run this game.

World Of Goo

World of Goo serves as an example of a new market of games that even low-spec PC users can enjoy: Indie games. Indie games aren’t known for their graphical prowess, but rather for their often unique gameplay and attention to detail. World of Goo is a physics based puzzle game where you must build a tower out of bits of goo. It’s got all the makings of a great puzzle game: colourful and bright visuals, a catchy soundtrack, a deceptively simple mechanic, and little bits of what appears to be sewage. Actually, scratch that last point. That bit’s unique to World of Goo.

System Requirements:

Windows: 1.0 GHz or faster CPU, 3D Graphics Card, DirectX 9, 512MB RAM, 100MB hard drive space. One of the more demanding games on this list, but it shouldn’t cause too much trouble if you’ve got a modern PC.

Mac: OSX 10.4 or newer, 1.0 GHz or faster Intel or PPC processor, 512 MB or more RAM, 3D graphics accelerator, OpenGL 1.1 or newer.

Half-Life

Although this list is in no particular order, I decided to put Half-Life here, at the bottom. Why? Because, without all of the hyperbole I’ve poured into the descriptions of the other games, Half-Life is definitely one of the best games ever made. The total immersion that you have while you play, the feeling that you actually are Gordon Freeman, has only been matched by the sequel, Half-Life 2. All too often, when a game focuses on story, or level design, or the gunplay, the other areas suffer slightly. The massive amount of fine-tuning and polish put into Half-Life is evident from the fact that every one of these areas is top-notch. There’s a reason that people praise this game so much, you know; it really is something that everyone must play.

System Requirements:

Windows: Pentium 133 MHz, 24 MB RAM, SVGA video card, Windows-compatible sound card, 2x CD-ROM drive, 400 MB hard-disk space.

Well, there you have it. I went through a lot of options to get this down to just ten entries; there are a plenty of great games that can run on older machines. If your favourite isn’t on the list, feel free to leave a comment with a small explanation, and I’ll add them to the bottom of this post. Similarly, if you need help tracking down some of these old games, or can’t get them to run, head over to the forums and the community will be glad to help out.

Wake up to the sounds of an intergalactic alien invasion with this slick-looking Space Invaders alarm clock. Direct from Taito, the makers of the classic arcade game, this retro device can be yours for 79 bucks. If you are asking yourself — “Self, why should I want this Space Invaders alarm clock?” — I will help you answer that question by illustrating a real world application below.

You stumble into your apartment at 2:00am accompanied by a lovely young lady you recently met. Your every intention is to discuss world politics and the high price of gas when she glances over at your nightstand and spots a Space Invaders alarm clock. She is overrun with retro emotion and decides to take you right then and there. Who needs Axe body spray when you have a room adorned with geeked-out gaming gadgets?!?

While results may vary, this certainly can happen to you.

Have something you think we should show on Geeked-Out? Email it to us.

Source: kilian-nakamura.com

Bust out your Wii (don’t go there) and download some retro Mega Man action. I have been waiting to play this game for a few months now, and after giving it a go at E3, I was quickly reminded how hard some retro games can really be. Don’t kid yourself, in addition to being nostalgic, this game will be challenging as well.

My download has started and my checklist has been double checked for retro compatibility. Zuba pants, check! Michael Jackson “BAD” playing in the background, check! Dr . Pepper, check!

Official Capcom press release after the jump.

CAPCOM® UNLEASHES MEGA MAN® 9 FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

The Blue Bomber Launches on WiiWareTM, Xbox LIVE® and PLAYSTATION®Network in Classic Style
SAN MATEO, CA — September 22, 2008 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Mega Man® 9 is now available for download on Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service, and will be available for the PLAYSTATION®Network on September 25, and Xbox LIVE® Arcade on October 1. The original 2D classic Mega Man® returns, bringing the series back to its roots with retroaction-platform gameplay and NES™-inspired old school graphics. Relive the Mega Man experience with maniacally themed environments, a host of power-ups, and classically-inspired bosses, each with their own unique weapons and weaknesses. Mega Man 9 is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is available for,1000 Wii Points™, $9.99 on PLAYSTATION®Network, or 800 Microsoft® Points.

Classic PC games on the cheap? If you deem that statement worth your while, it would be prudent of you to take a look at GOG.com (Good Old Games). What started as a side-project from the guys that made PC RPG, The Witcher, managed to take it as far as making it an entity of its own. Although not yet live, we do know that Codemasters and Interplay are in with GOG.com as well as the existence of an early access beta.

I want to liken it to Gametap, with some very important differences. Firstly, no exclusive content or at least none that’s been announced or hinted at, thus far. It’s not on a subscription model; you pay for games, you keep them, and are free to download and re-download as much as you see fit. And most importantly: all games have had their insides turned out in hopes of creating the maximum amount of compatibility between both Windows XP and Vista.

If you yearn for the olden days of PC gaming, this looks to be one of the best ways of going about it. If interested, there’s an early access beta go to GOG.com and sign up prior to September 7, 2008 before 12:00am (EDT, convert time zone accordingly.)

Source: GOG.com

Retro enthusiasts and JRPG lovers alike will be pleased to know that in a press release issued today, Square Enix revealed that the DS remake of Chrono Trigger will be hitting stateside on November 25th, 2008.

Complete with the DS’s touchscreen functionality, Chrono Trigger DS will feature brand new dungeons and arenas that weren’t in the 1995 classic. Hit the jump for Square Enix’s full press release.

CHRONO TRIGGER COMES TO NINTENDO DS ON NOVEMBER 25, 2008
One of the Greatest RPGs of All Time Returns This Holiday Season
Los Angeles (August 18, 2008)

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that its highly anticipated Nintendo DS™ title CHRONO TRIGGER® will ship to North American retailers on November 25, 2008. A groundbreaking RPG that became an instant classic, CHRONO TRIGGER is set to be one of the most compelling handheld titles available this holiday season.

Remastered exclusively for Nintendo DS, this newly enhanced edition maintains all of the game’s original elements and spirit while introducing portability, dual-screen presentation and Touch Screen functionality.

Originally released in 1995 on the Super NES® and subsequently shipping more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, CHRONO TRIGGER is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest video games of all time. Praise continued to be showered upon the title at last month’s E3 2008 Media and Business Summit, with CHRONO TRIGGER receiving accolades including “Best RPG” and “Best DS Game.”

Players can look forward to a reunion with CHRONO TRIGGER’s multifaceted storyline, memorable soundtrack and exhilarating gameplay this November.

STORY

When a newly developed teleportation device malfunctions at the Millennial Fair, young Crono must travel through time to rescue his misfortunate companion from an intricate web of past and present perils. The swashbuckling adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono’s race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

FEATURES

# A masterpiece with an engaging and unparalleled storyline, leading to the discovery of multiple epic conclusions to a journey that transcends time
# An inspiring musical score created by Yasunori Mitsuda
# Intriguing battle system made possible by the unique combination of the Active Time Battle system and Tech skills
# Famed character designer Akira Toriyama lends his signature art style to create the vibrant world that has captivated gamers around the world
# Taking advantage of the Nintendo DS hardware, CHRONO TRIGGER makes its way onto the portable platform with all-new dual-screen presentation and Touch Screen functionality
# Brand-new dungeons and an Arena mode add exciting new dimensions to this timeless classic

CHRONO TRIGGER is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ctds.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan’s best-selling franchises – FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide – under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com

CHRONO TRIGGER, DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Super NES are trademarks of Nintendo.

I ran into one of my favorite game reviewers while waiting in line for the Capcom press conference on Tuesday. He’s James Rolfe, also known as the Angry Nintendo Video Game Nerd.

You can check out his website here, but be careful that you don’t die laughing while watching some of these brilliant retro video reviews.